Thankfulness to God is one of the highest virtues which a man could aspire for. It is easy to be thankful when one has got an easy life, a prospering business, a respectful job, and a happy family. Muslim often respond with, “Alhamdulillah.” Similarly, Islam teaches us to be thankful throughout the day. Our thankfulness is beneficial for us alone, and our ingratitude is harmful to us alone. Allah says:
وَمَا ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
“And what (will be the) assumption (of) those who invent against Allah the lie (on) the Day (of) the Judgment? Indeed, Allah (is) surely Full (of) Bounty to mankind, but most of them (are) not grateful.” (Surah Yunus 10:60)
Thankfulness is not only the heart and essence of Islam; it is also the key to attracting abundance, prosperity, peace, and success in one’s life. According to Islam, one of our foremost duties is to be grateful to God for all of His blessings. We can describe three levels of thankfulness. Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities, and life. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ
“We endowed Luqman with wisdom: ‘Be thankful to God: whoever gives thanks benefits his soul, and as for those who are thankless — God is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise.” (Surah Luqman 31:12)
Allah has told us in the Quran this as well. We must thank him for everything. When Allah gives you money, thank Him. When He guides you to the straight path, thank Him. When He gives you happiness, thank Him. When he gives you faith, thank Him. Thank Him all the time, every single time. Because Allah has said to us in the Quran again and again that doing so will benefit us.
Here are some reasons for thankfulness is a success in this life and the Hereafter:
- Thank you, Allah, for all the blessings great and small
- Thankful of the tongue involves the praises of Allah
- Thankful to Allah for your intellectual abilities
- Thankful to Allah for your comfort and status
- Thank you, Allah, for removing from me grief
- Thankful to Allah’s unaccountable blessings
- Thankful to Allah for your wealth and health
- Thank you, Allah, for removing from worry
- Thankful to Allah for your peaceful life
- Thank you, Allah, for enriching my life
- Thank you, Allah, for my pain-stricken
- Thank you, Allah, for a place I can use
- Thank you, Allah, for allows me to see
- Thank you, Allah, of each passing day
- Thank you, Allah, for the air I breathe
- Thank you, Allah, for the food I eat
- Thank you, Allah, for placing faith
- Thankful leads to Allah’s pleasure
- Thankful for the guidance of Allah
- Thankful to Allah for His Blessings
- Thankful to Allah to attain Tauheed
- Thank you, Allah, for peace of mind
- Thankful to Allah gives us a blessing
- Thankful to reflect upon your own life
- Thankful is a grateful heart that to Allah
- Thankful is a quality of success in this life
- Thank you, Allah, for never leaving me alone
- Thankful to Allah to relieve anxiety and stress
- Thank you, Allah, for grace to see another day
- Thankful given the best in this world and the next
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“O you who believe! Consciously revere Allah and let look every soul what it has sent forth for tomorrow, and consciously revere Allah. Indeed, Allah (is) All-Aware of what you do.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59:18)
Muslims should always thankful to Allah for all the blessings given by Him. He is the Creator of this world alone and also He is The Most Merciful for all His humankind. If we are thankful to him then it means we are believers and if not then disbelievers. Allah says:
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
“And when proclaimed your Lord, “If you are thankful, surely I will increase you; but if you are ungrateful indeed, My punishment (is) surely severe.” (Surah Ibrahim 14:7)
Allah is in control over the universe and the heavens which He has specifically mentioned in the Holy Book of Quran. We must learn by reciting His word that our lives are in His control too. He will give us blessings, He will give us wealth and He will make us successful. Allah
Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran about thankfulness:
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
“Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful.” (Surah Al-Insan 76:3)
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
“So remember Me, I will remember you and be grateful to Me and (do) not (be) ungrateful to Me.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:152)
أَفَمَن يَخْلُقُ كَمَن لَّا يَخْلُقُ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Then is He Who creates like one who (does) not creates? Then will you not remember?” (Surah An-Nahl 16:17)
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَكُنتُم مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“Then you turned away from after that. So if not (for the) Grace (of) Allah upon you and His Mercy, surely you would have been of the losers.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:64)
فَكُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَاشْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ
“So eat of what Allah has provided you – lawful and good. And be grateful (for the) Favor (of) Allah, if [you] Him Alone you worship.” (Surah An-Nahl 16:114)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ
“O you who believe! Eat of the good things We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah, if it is Him that you serve.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:172)
Thanks or gratitude means reciprocating kindness and giving praise to the one who has done good and kind things. The one who is most deserving of thanks and praise from people is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because of the great favours and blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves in both spiritual and worldly terms. Allah says:
ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ
“Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the right-hand side and the left-hand side, and You (Allah) shall not find most of them thankful.” (Surah Al-Araf 7:17)
God mentions thankfulness even before belief in Him:
The Concept of Thankfulness in Islam: If you appreciate Allah’s favours, He has promised increased Rahma or mercy for you. Allah’s reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional.
Keeping Ourselves Away from Shaytaan: Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allah’s `hand’ has been holding you and helping you.
Make the True Meaning of Thanking Allah: Be ‘Thank God’, without realizing the full implications of our words.
We can never count Allah’s Blessings: Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life.
Shukr leads to Allah’s pleasure: From the very beginning of the human being’s creation, the issue of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allah has been debated.
Training the Patience in Difficulty: Everything that happens to us – even events that we may consider to be personal afflictions or natural disasters-are from Allah.
Most people subconsciously thank God: Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allah’s `hand’ has been holding you and helping you.
Being grateful and patient in times of difficulty: Everything that happens to us – even events that we may consider to be personal afflictions or natural disasters-are from Allah.
Rewards in the hereafter: Allah rewards those who thank Him for the blessings and remain patient when the times are tough.
For every experience for every breath. He’s the One Who’s the provider of everything and we should say ‘Alhamdulillah’ for whatever he does for us. His creations, we should be thankful to him at every step. If we remain ungrateful, we would lose our blessing and Allah will not be happy with us. Allah has promised us on Quran, that He will grant us more if we’re grateful to him for everything. Allah says:
ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ
“Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the right-hand side and the left-hand side, and You (Allah) shall not find most of them thankful.” (Surah Al-Araf 7:17)
Allah has blessed us with more things than we can count. Islam is referred to as those who are wise, who possess a mature and comprehending intellect. Ironically, we humans are the only ones who forget to be thankful to Him. Be ever thankful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities, and life. Allah says:
وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّن بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allah).” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:78)
Thankfulness in Islam holds great value and the highest virtue. As Muslims, we should always be grateful to our only God, Allah SWT for his blessings. The blessings of Allah SWT are so abundant and frequent, that most of us normally use them without taking notice of where they came from.
